Sara and Frank McKnight Fund for Biochemical Research

The Sara and Frank McKnight Fund for Biochemical Research is designed to support the stipends of graduate students working within the Department of Biochemistry at UT Southwestern Medical Center. As graduate students complete their second year of training, individuals are nominated by their mentors and a selection committee chooses the top candidate. The annual graduate student stipend is then funded for this candidate for his or her third, fourth, and fifth years of graduate school. The amount varies, but is at least equal to the graduate school stipend. Since one candidate is chosen for funding each year, this program provides steady-state support for three graduate students. 

Past students include Han Dai, who is now conducting postdoctoral studies with Dr. Stephen Harrison at Harvard University, and Feng Jiang, who is currently a research fellow with Dr. Helen Hobbs at UT Southwestern. Currently funded students include John DeBergh, who is working under the mentorship of Dr. Joseph Ready; Irnov, who is working under the mentorship of Dr. Wade Winkler; Ying Liu, who is working under the mentorship of Dr. Qinghua Liu; and Julio Ruiz, who is working under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Bruick.